As a general rule, I am skeptical of any company or product that touts itself as the "best" or "most" or whatever. It's almost always a marketing ploy designed to push a lesser product. Therefore, when I discovered Death Wish Coffee, self-described as the "World's Strongest Coffee," I automatically dismissed it as a gimmick. Curiosity compelled me to try it and much to my surprise, the brew was not half bad.

It should go without saying that if you don't appreciate strong, dark roasts, then you won't appreciate this coffee. It looks, smells, and tastes like a mug of sludge (which it basically is). Don't look for any nuance or regional traits, because there aren't any. Hell, I couldn't find any meaningful info on the company website or anywhere else, and I've gotten pretty good at uncovering online intel.

The company states that they "have created a seriously strong coffee due to the combination of beans we use, paired with our incredibly unique roasting process." And that's the most you will ever learn about this coffee. No details about origins, technique, etc. This leaves me to assume that they acquire gluts of common beans, roast the shit out of them, somehow amplify the caffeine, and technically produce the world's strongest coffee (by whatever metric).

The entire concept leaves me scratching my head. We're not talking about energy drinks here. Sheer strength is not something most coffee drinkers seek out. Thus, while I can appreciate the creativity, I'm just not sure who their target audience is. But anyway, on to the coffee.

I prepared my cup using a fine-mesh cone dripper with filtered water 30 seconds off the boil. But to be honest, I could have used boiling tap water and a kitchen rag. It wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference. Describing this coffee is fairly straight forward. Just imagine a strong, dark roast like French or Italian, then amplify every trait (char, acidity, bitterness, you name it). It tastes exactly like you think it would. It's not bad, it's just, well, potent. If you like dark roasts, then it won't offend you. It'll just raise your eyebrows.

Overall, I found Death Wish Coffee to be a satisfying brew. That might come as a surprise considering the review, but I actually enjoy strong, dark roasts. I would never say it's great, because it's not. It tastes like someone roasted coffee beans in bucket of lava. But hey, that works for some of us. I wouldn't call it a regular drinker, I'm not going to start every morning with a Death Wish. But on those occasional days where I need an extra boost, this coffee would fit the bill.